Kristi Noem

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem cites state open records law as the basis for her decision not to allow the press or public to know who stays at the historic state-owned Norbeck summer cabin in Custer State Park. The governor's stance against openness on use of the cabin -- and rejection of a formal information request by South Dakota News Watch -- has reignited a long-standing debate over whether information about use of the taxpayer-supported cabin should be made public.

Jamie Smith: a teacher, coach, realtor, father, lawmaker -- and perhaps the next governor of South Dakota? State Rep. Smith, the Democratic nominee for governor of South Dakota, is running to unseat Republican Gov. Kristi Noem in the Nov. 8, 2022 election with a campaign focused on trust, truth and character. Running against a well-funded incumbent who has an undefeated electoral record, Smith believes he can nevertheless pull off the upset.

From state lawmaker to member of Congress to South Dakota's first female governor, Kristi Noem has experienced a steady upward trajectory in her political career. As presidential aspirations may now be in play, and as Noem fights to retain her position as governor in November, South Dakota News Watch spoke with numerous political experts and analysts to look back at the past -- and potential future -- of one the most polarizing political figures in the history of the state.

In a July 2022 statewide poll commissioned by South Dakota News Watch, a majority of registered voters opposed a total ban on abortion in the state and an even larger majority supported holding a referendum in which voters, not lawmakers, would decide on future laws regarding the procedure.

The shortage of teachers in South Dakota has gotten worse in recent years as classroom educators have increasingly felt the pull of politics and the ongoing culture wars add new stress to an already difficult job. As criticism of teachers mounts, and questions about curriculum become more common, some experts worry the public education system in South Dakota may begin to falter. This is Part 1 of a two-part series.

Standardized test scores and graduation rates remain stubbornly low for Native American children attending South Dakota public schools, but a new effort is underway to incorporate Lakota Indian language, history and culture into state-funded charter schools modeled on successful immersion programs elsewhere.

Four experts on the child care crisis in South Dakota say Gov. Kristi Noem's proposal to spend $100 million to prop up the daycare industry in the state will be helpful, but is only a first step toward solving a crisis that is stressing working families and which could stifle future statewide economic growth.

As she embarks on a reelection campaign, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem received strong overall support for her performance in a recent statewide poll conducted by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. While the results bode well for her political future, two professors from South Dakota say Noem has sometimes exhibited a divisive approach to politics that has increased polarization in the state and nation.

As the state embarks on creation of a new and expanded civics and history initiative for South Dakota public schools, key stakeholders in the process are urging those behind the plan, including Gov. Kristi Noem, to keep politics out of the process to tell the truest possible story of history and government.

Gov. Kristi Noem called the medical marijuana program in Oklahoma "a mess," but some officials in Oklahoma and South Dakota argue that the program has fulfilled the wishes of voters and has made starting a marijuana-related business easy for local entrepreneurs.